AirBnB Non-Diverse Marketing

[Rachel399]

Hi AirBnB,

Let me start off by saying I am one of your biggest fans! In fact, I just wrote a proposal for a huge partnership with one of the US's leading brands to work with you.

However, I just noticed something that dissapoints me greatly. My sister, who happens to be gay, recently got engaged. Her and her fiance are lovers of travel and will only stay in AirBnBs when they travel near and far.

So, of course my first instinct was to get them a hefty AirBnB gift card as a celebratory gift of their love. As I logged on to the site to send a gift card I was so eager to get this sent to them as I knew this was the perfect opportunity for them to take a trip.

Unfortnatley, my excitement has turned into disappointment. Look at your gift card options--there are only heterosexual couples modeled in the pictures. Look at my above image.

The options without models featured leave me to pick from TWO choices. I'm either forced to give them a gift card with a man and woman on it--mocking them of their non-traditional life they are living and struggles they continue to face--or a picture of cold mountains (hard to give to beach loving ladies).

I know their love is stronger than a label--but they think of you as home. Do better AirBnB, be aware, look out for us. We think of you as family--act like it.

-Rachel B.

[Jeet0]

This is a great point @Rachel399, I just sent the same as product feedback to Airbnb. Hope they make these changes soon.

[Lisa658]

@Rachel399

I think you are probably being a bit harsh here.  Not sure if you are aware of this or not but same sex marriage is not allowed in Australia.  Guess who has been THE front-runner championing the changing of this law.  There are many articles about this if you google "AirBnB same sex marriage Australia" but here is one:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/firms-ring-in-campaign-for-marriage-equality/news-s...

AirBnB have been advertising for a yes vote for many, many months, I would guess almost a year.  The results of the vote comes in mid-November - I think.  We have not yet received our notice to vote so it is still a while off.  We did get some rings (maybe in February) as the notice came in about this when we had housekeepers from the Netherlands who were a couple and gifted the rings to them.

I think that you might be missing the big picture in wanting a card that is specific to your taste.  I would propose there are at least 4 cards in the images provided that would not be offensive.  Next we will have people saying, well, I travel with my dog and there is no photo of inclusivity for pet owners.

I think you should just give them a break and a big pat on the back for what they are already doing and not be too worried about the images on the gift cards.

Lisa  

[Louise0]

Lisa, you should have received your Marriage Equality survey form over 4 weeks ago.  If it didn't arrive you had until October 20 to request a replacement.  Unfortunately it's now too late and you won't be able to 'vote'. 😞

[Susie5]

Hi @Lisa658, you said:

"Next we will have people saying, well, I travel with my dog and there is no photo of inclusivity for pet owners."

You may not have intended it - I hope you didn't --  but your post above seems to equate traveling with your gay partner/spouse to traveling with your dog.  You can probably imagine why this would be offensive to many people, not just gay people by the way.  FYI.

[David126]

Is it my imagination but all of them seem to be young? Bit ageist?

But then I see no children, do they not want children to use ABB?

[Jeri14]

Welcome to your sisters' world....very little in her life actually looks like her life.  I know, bummer.  but, she is probably used to it, may not even notice.  get creative.  get a 'vanilla' gift card for her and put it in a beautiful book with images of her and her beloved, or take a photo of her and her beloved and glue it onto the airbnb gift card.  Believe me, she will so appreciate that you made an extra effort, and keep pushing the envelope for change to include all of us!  Thank you

[Isabel203]

Hey @Rachel399: Thanks for bringing this forward. How we see ourselves reflected in the world around us is so important to how we understand and feel about ourselves. But marketing images also shape our understanding and awareness of others: they either work to build or block empathy.

Not that this negates or makes up for the marketing issues, but please know that your sister and her fiancee would be very welcome in our space, should they ever choose to visit our corner of the world.

[Helen3]

Hello @Rachel399

A very valid point. 

Not only are they are hetro-sexual looking couples, but they all look young and although I can't see clearly from the images, all look white.

Just because Airbnb is championing equal rights for lesbians and gay men in Australia (unbelievable by the way that Australia is still so behind the curve on these issues), doesn't mean that their marketing team doesn't need a  lesson in equality and diversity in terms of imagery.

We used to have the same problem with these forums in terms of imagery until it was changed last year to be more diverse.

Disability is an issue that Airbnb still hasn't tackled in terms of it's imagery though and I would like to see them make more efforts in this direction too.

[Lisa658]

@Helen3

I was actually mostly referring to the last statement made about not being treated like family.  I just found it a bit harsh and tried to convey in a polite way that there is no need to feel betrayed over a gift card.  If you look at the bigger picture I am not sure a rap on the knuckles is warranted.  

Australia may be behind on same sex marriage but I believe they may be leaps and bounds ahead on this issue - some local councils have decided to cancel Australia Day celebrations because colonisation has caused "pain and displacement for generations of Indigenous people" and it makes this day traumatic for them.  This is the equivalent of no longer having Canada Day or the 4th of July celebrations or any acknowledgement of any countrys' national day.  Have not heard yet that they are considering cancelling these special days elsewhere in the world so we might be a global leader on this one!

I think it is a shame not to be allowed to say "Merry Christmas" in public any more and I wish they could find another way to create harmony other than cancelling Australia Day.  I can't see them ever having a gift card for every lifestyle and every destination so maybe they will just offer gift cards with their logo if they get enough complaints and everyones choices  will get a bit smaller and we will all just live with that and not offend anybody.

By the way, I think the images are not meant to literally be representative of the traveller.  I think they are meant to just evoke an emotion like anticipation, awe, serenity, excitement, etc.  Taking it too literally to the point of finding a mountain a complaint-worthy compromise to a beach photo is just wrong.

Lisa

[Helga0]

Pfff, if I get a gift card, I would only look at the amount anyway and globally I would prefer a code to add to my account or link to click and follow directions.

If it's a physical card, you use it and then you have to get rid of the plastic card, which contributes to global polution. 

Airbnb could offer to print it on demand, with any picture you wish, but that would mean a longer delay. I'd prefer get a nice felicitations card or paint one and write the code inside. Or send it by mail. 

At my nephiew's marriage last month, I believe my gift was the only one containing anything valuable, as I came from another country and cash was easiest. All other gifts from a hundred guests, were only jokes. The rest went by electronic transfer. But maybe we are an exceptionally pragmatic family...

[Fred13]

A picture of nature wouldn't suffice? It is a general, short (aka limited-space), marketing piece not a political statement.

I did also noticed everyone is young, fit, probably rich and happy. None represents me personally; except being happy. 🙂

[Russell49]

This is the problem I speak of. There will never be a single card that represents everyone. The image just represents a likely majority demographic of couples that use AirBnB. People will find anything to be upset about when they wanna be upset.... They missed the most beautiful part of the image and played identity politics and victimhood culture instead. SMH

[Russell49]

Liberal problems...When a company capitulates and panders to your lifestyle/ideology and it still isn't liberal enough. LOL

The above image of a heterosexual couple represents the majority of couples in the world-It has been the majority who will bring in the company's business. Along the way as a society we have dealt with/accepted things that are either unfamiliar or different but if this image was a gay/lesbian couple-what message would it send to a future customer base? It would superficially look like it was for an "exclusives lifestyle" accommodation. Even AirBnB knows this and despite their "woke" efforts, they are still a business model. Sure they will praise "diversity" in text and apply it to their rules in a shallow fashion, but they are not dumb enough to isolate potential customers.

[Sarah977]

@Russell49  You've made your prejudiced views quite clear on this forum before. 

There is nothing wrong, and everything right, about portraying various relationships, races, and age groups in Airbnb messaging. It has zero to do with "woke" or liberal. It has to do with making all feel represented and welcome. If that's offensive to you, you shouldn't be hosting.